UK officials quietly weigh a deeper EU future, including free movement, before November summit
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British officials are preparing for the November EU summit with talks on trade, youth mobility, and the possibility of a far more open long-term relationship with the bloc, including free movement. Jonathan Reynolds says the public will ultimately decide, while Labour voices and critics clash over the political consequences.
British officials have begun talks with the European Union on a long-term relationship that could eventually include a return to free movement, a sign that the government is at least willing to confront the damage caused by years of Brexit isolation. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the immediate priority for the November summit is to secure an agreement that eases trading restrictions and establishes a youth mobility scheme.
Reynolds told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Prime Minister Andy Burnham wants a stable, long-term partnership with the bloc and will outline the options after the summit. > “We need to have a way to resolve what our long-term relationship will be, and he is going to set that out after the summit. And he is going to be frank with the British people about what the trade-offs are,” he said.
He added that any decision on the future relationship will be left to the British public, though he did not specify whether this would be through a general election or a referendum. > “The British people are the people who will decide this. They’re the boss on this,” Reynolds said.
Some Labour backbenchers expressed caution about revisiting free movement, reflecting the lingering fear that has poisoned debate since the previous referendum. MP Melanie Onn warned that the issue remains divisive and that the country has not yet healed from that rupture. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage attacked the idea of discussing freedom of movement, calling it “very, very poor indeed” and questioning the prime minister’s mandate.
Burnham, in a recent interview, called for an “honest discussion” about freedom of movement, suggesting that rejoining the single market and allowing free movement could be achieved without a new referendum if Labour includes it in its manifesto, while full EU re-entry would require a public vote.